Personal Statement
“Sasha, ihre fahrt ist hier.” At my teacher’s demand, I ran from my seat with such enthusiasm that I have never experienced before, and left behind everything I owned. I raced to the parent pick up line where my mother stood eagerly waiting to inform me of what she thought was good news. My parents were in military, so I spent most of my early life apart from them as they relocated every three years. This day was not only peculiar in that my mother came to pick me up, but it was the last Thursday I would ever attend Kaiserslautern Middle School.
My last Thursday in Kaiserslautern, Germany soon became my first Thursday in Stafford, Virginia. I tried to convince myself that would be a new and exciting adventure, but it turned out to be a challenging struggle that I had to bear each day. As for an African-American thirteen-year-old German native speaker with very little knowledge of English, the adaptations to the suburban environment I was suddenly placed into were not that easy. My peers did not make it any better, as they struggled to piece together the color of my skin, language I spoke, the clothes I wore, and the food I ate. When greeting a new face, it was an automatic gesture to say “Hallo, wei geht es dir.” After a few harsh stares and unusual gestures, I realized that I was doing something wrong. I continued to adapt through learning and speaking the English language and defining myself amongst those who constantly ridiculed me for not being the norm ‘black girl.’ After just three years of high school, I managed to get high school diploma at the age of sixteen and entered the undergraduate school at the George Mason University.
While attending George Mason, I had an opportunity to work as a clinical counselor’s assistant at the Department of Corrections, Coffeewood Correctional Facility, Mitchells, Virginia. Serving in this role provided me with a great practical experience. I had a chance to interact with various types of offenders: some of them were incarcerated for the first time, others were well aware of the criminal justice system. Those I found to be most intriguing were the offenders who gave up their lunch and recreational hour to spend time in the library researching case law and precedents. Those offenders convinced themselves they were one step away from being exonerated and getting their conviction overturned.
Jerome Spikes, a Coffeewood inmate of more than ten years, awaited his exoneration for two long years. Spikes’ compelling story altered my perspective of the criminal justice system, and later encouraged me to join the Sentencing Project. The Project advocated on behalf of those who brought forth legitimate claims of wrongful convictions and prepared a case that would hopefully exonerate the offender. My tenure with the Sentencing Project furthered my curiosity of how court decisions are made and what loopholes lead to possible wrongful convictions.
It was a Sentencing Project Research that made me sure that I want to get my Juris Doctorate. From now on, I realized that professional curiosity pushed me to write notes about the more compelling cases, take them home and draft opening and closing statements. I convinced my roommate to play the opposing counsel and made our Yorkshire Terrier, Bella, serve as judge. Bella’s barks signified that either I or opposing counsel had spoken out of turn. I felt passion when I delivered my closing arguments and believed that the strategy and the evidence that I presented would convince any Judge or jury that my client was innocent beyond a reasonable doubt.
After two short years of debating cases in my living room on behalf of ‘Sentencing Project clients’, I began working as the Juvenile Delinquent Prevention Coordinator in the State’s Attorney’s Office in Prince George’s County, Maryland. Soon after, I was promoted to the position of the Special Assistant to the State’s Attorney. At the age of 22, I was holding a position vital to executing the State’s Attorney’s vision and mission for the community. Also, I was one of the youngest to be employed in the office at the position that required a great deal of responsibility and confidence to maintain. I was given the opportunity to observe various components that define the role of a prosecutor, i.e. being present at the discussions to determine whether or not to charge an individual, or strategizing the best way to present evidence in the high profile cases. Also, I learned that in addition to the role of the chief prosecutor, the State’s Attorney is challenged with advancing community values, practices and institutions. Creating strong ties with constituents and ensuring public safety are vital for an elected official. Active community engagement gives a human face to the justice system and goes a long way in building public trust.
For me, law school places me a step closer to my goals of advocating on behalf of communities and ensuring that justice is served for all. Becoming an attorney will provide me with unlimited opportunities to continue addressing real issues in the lives of the citizens and conveying those concerns in the criminal justice system that correspond to real human needs. I have a strong desire to pursue public interest and criminal law and I know that getting a degree at The George Washington University Law School will allow me to reach that goal. This is the best place to polish my knowledge and advance my skills to become a professional. At GWU Law, I will have the opportunity to glean from both the experts in the classroom and other avenues such as the Neighborhood Law & Policy and the Domestic Violence Project Clinics. Moreover, it will provide me with a chance to build my career in the field of criminal justice system and public service.
While reflecting on my childhood journey and on the years of professional experience, I realized that I had overcome many obstacles that could have ended in failure. I had fought for the opportunities that have shaped me into who I am and I am eager to continue this journey and pursue my Juris Doctorate. My active engagement in the cases and significant experience in the field make me a good candidate for it. Hardship and difficulties shaped my character and contributed to my clear vision of goals. Doctorate degree will open new horizons for me and enrich me with new knowledge. I long for new challenges and opportunities that would strengthen me and contribute to my role in the public service.
